Safari yacht in Hulhumale harbour burns down

An MNDF vessel approaches the safari yacht which caught fire in Hulhumale harbour to put out the flames. PHOTO/READER

A safari yacht anchored in reclaimed suburb Hulhumale’s harbour went up in flames on Tuesday.

Three crewmembers were onboard the “Velaa” safari yacht when its engine room caught fire and engulfed the boat, burning it beyond use. However, all the crew are safe and no tourists were on board at the time.

According to Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF)’s information officer Ibrahim Azim, it had received a report of the fire around 9 a.m. Tuesday and the fire were soon extinguished by 9:44 a.m.

Police are now investigating the incident. No further details were available, as the owner of the yacht could not be reached.